Cheltenham

It is also famous for Cheltenham Ladies College and having a Regency style. Most major streets are wide and lined with trees.

Cheltenham is posh and full of middle-class goths.

And yo, Mentski, I lived in Cheltenham for ten years. I also lived in Smethwick in Birmingham, UK for six weeks. Trust me, Cheltenham is posh. Whaddon, Hester's Way and St. Paul's are nothing compared to Handsworth on a Saturday night. The only way anyone would consider Cheltenham as anything less than posh is if they own a mansion near Winchcombe, UK.

This pub is by the St Mary's Churchyard. (That's the old Church around which Cheltenham was built). Cheltenham has a disturbingly large number of graveyards which seem to exist for no reason, like the one next to the bowling green in the middle of town. I have been told that it is theorised that Cheltenham used to be a mediaevel necropolis, where all the dead from the surrounding areas were buried. Were it not for all the frickin' random graveyards, this would sound shonky to me.

Cheltenham is also where all the wealthy from the cotswolds and the rest of Gloucestershire come to shop, eat, and generally be served by the peons who can't afford to live near them, or to visit the office of the accountant who lives next door. The shopping here is much better than in Southampton. For some reason people still gawp at the Wishing Fishing Clock in the Regent Arcade.

The best thing about Cheltenham is that the architecture is very tasty indeed.

For some reason, international corporations like Kraft and Zurich Insurance have their UK headquarters here.

Other schools of slightly less lack of note than the others in the town are Cheltenham College and Pate's Grammar School. Has it's own university: The University of Gloucestershire, which now incorporates Cheltenham Art School.

Famous people born here: Edward Jenner, Gustav Holst

To gamblers and racing fans all over Britain and Ireland, "Cheltenham" means the Cheltenham Festival of National Hunt Racing. It can also refer to the racecourse itself, Prestbury Park, or to any of the numerous horse racing events held there throughout the (winter) season. The Festival is held in March, and often seems to coincide with Saint Patrick's Day. It has been a three day event but in 2005 for the first time it will run for four days. The highlight of the week is the Gold Cup race which delivers a substantial prize.

The Festival is a big deal to Cheltenham. In a town of 100,000-ish people we have an event attracting 50,000 to 60,000 attendees per day. Whether this is a good or a bad thing depends on your point of view, but needless to say the town is a different place altogether for a week in March.

I think Cheltenham is also a big deal to National Hunt. I know racing fans who openly obsess about it at pretty much any time of the year. The course itself and facilities are also pretty good. According to BBC Radio Gloucestershire, a recent national survey apparently rated Prestbury Park finest national hunt course in the UK.

There are lots of betting shops in Cheltenham. Cheltenham is also a Spa town.